Not Like All The Others
by mickytaka558
Summary: AU. Karin is the most beautiful geisha of Tokyo, but she is different from all the others. She is cold and distant from everyone and everything, until she meets him. Everything changes then. Read & Review
1. Meeting

**Not Like All The Others**

by mickytaka558

* * *

Meeting

* * *

"Darling, you have to go now."

She heard him say those words as nothing. In his eyes, she saw the sadness, but it was not enough.

"D-dad... I don't want to. Please."

Her eyes filled with tears and her body started to tremble slightly, but her father didn't seem to be too touched by that. He put her hand on her shoulder and made a small smile.

"Come on. You were always a good girl. So be like that now too, and do what I say. You know it's for your own sake. They'll treat you as a queen." he told her, but she knew he was lying.

She shook her head and then lowered it, before turning around and getting towards the car of the man that came to take her, but before going in, she stopped, without looking back.

"I loved you, dad." she mumbled.

* * *

"Tsk... You were a bastard."

Suddenly the door opened and a girl came in. "Karin-san, you have to entertain a couple of clients. They'll be coming here in a half an hour. Be ready." she said smiling.

Karin nodded. "I'll be ready in a minute, Sakura." she said as she finished putting on her lipstick, forgetting her thoughts of before. They didn't really matter. Not now.

-.-

It's been ten years since she left her home and became a geisha. It wasn't her own will... No. Her parents sold her to the owner of the local where she worked, because they needed money. She was never asked if she wanted to there go or not. They just prepared her and took her away.

Yet, she always trying to be different from the others. Her hair was of an unusual red color, which was a particular characteristic of her clan, and it was never tied up as the other geisha's was. She never put on much make-up either. Her skin was always of it's natural color, which was rather pale, so she refused to put on what she needed to make it lighter.

With the clients, she was always kind and educated, but she was never like the other ones. She was always on her side, not being actually a company that all the men wanted. She kept staying in that local only because of her gorgeous looks, so, even if she wasn't very talkative, the clients asked for her often, just to be able to see her for a couple of hours.

Every day, many people were coming there and most of them wanted only to see her because they heard the many stories about her from their friends, and they were really curios if she was as beautiful as their words described.

She became very popular that way.

* * *

One evening, at the Uchiha residence, Itachi walked in Sasuke's room. He went in without knocking and found his little brother sitting at his table, working on an important project for their company.

The Uchiha were probably the most famous and successful men in the whole Japan. They always provided to sign the most important contracts and they were becoming bigger and richer every single day that passed. It didn't pass a day without their name being written somewhere in the journals and that's why everyone knew about them.

Sasuke was one of the leaders of the company and was always trying to do something new and good to keep the company always good as it was and bring it to the top.

His brother, Itachi, saw that he was really trying to keep it up and was also successful in it, but he didn't have any ambition in particular. He only wanted to keep going with the job that their father left them before dying. They accepted to do it, because they knew how much did their father have to sweat to become what he was.

Yet, what was too much, was too much.

"Sasuke." he called him.

"Hn?" was the only thing he heard coming from his little brother's mouth.

He sighed and approached him. He was working on some graphics, as always and he just needed to stop a little. "You and I will go out later." he said. Sasuke stopped drawing for a second and glanced at him.

"I'm not coming."

Itachi shook his head and grabbed the paper from his hands, throwing it on the bed.

"Hey! I was working on that!" he snapped as he stood up. Itachi shook his head and waved his hand, a sing to him to let go of it. "Ah, Sasuke. You're too dedicated to work. You have to relax a little, or later you'll suffer because of it." he told him.

Sasuke snorted. "I'm fine like this."

His older brother poked his forehead. "No, Sasuke. You are not fine with this. You're 23, and you don't even have a girlfriend. I'll take you to a local, so you can get over it for a bit." he said and, without waiting for an answer, he headed back to the door.

"Be ready for eight o'clock."

* * *

When they arrived at the local, a nice woman came out to lead them in to take them at their table. When they stepped in, Sasuke looked at his brother. "A geisha local? Why did you choose something like this?" he asked him confused.

Itachi smirked and walked behind the ma'am. They arrived soon at the table and they sat down. The lady bowed and spoke: "Your ladies will come in a moment."

They both nodded and, as she left, the younger Uchiha sighed. "You still didn't answer me."

Itachi looked at him. "I have to show you something. It will amaze you." he told him, almost excited. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but then let go of it, not wanting to ask too many questions, since the 'surprise' was about to come soon.

After a couple of minutes, the lady from before came to them, with only one geisha instead of two. Itachi asked her explanations, but she apologized and said that the other one was about to come soon: she was held back by a setback.

Anyway, the one that was there, presented herself: her name was Sakura.

Both of the boys observed her: she had a pretty face, with some green eyes. Her hair was of a light pink color, very similar (if not the same) to the color of the cherry blossoms, and was tied up in a chignon. She sure was pretty, but neither of the two boys saw anything special in her.

She joined them and started to talk with them kindly, giving them also something to drink and some snacks before dinner. When she went away for a second, Itachi apologized too to Sasuke. "I really wanted you to see the other one. I'm really sorry. I hope she'll make it in time." he said.

Sasuke waved his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not really that interested in this anyway." he said absent-minded.

A half an hour passed and Karin still wasn't there. Sasuke, meanwhile, needed to go to the bathroom and Sakura had to accompany him, since it was in their rules. She was, of course, happy of it, because she liked him since she put her eyes on him.

As they went out of the restaurant, Karin appeared in front of them, as beautiful and as fascinating as always. Her beautiful red hair was leaned on her shoulders and her pale and pure skin seemed to be shining under the light of the lamps on the wall. Her eyes seemed gentle, but also distant from there.

Sasuke liked her.

She smiled and looked at him, understanding that he was one of the clients that she had to entertain. She bowed. "Excuse me for making you wait so much." she spoke.

"Don't worry." he answered, without even noticing it. "I have to go to the toilet. Could you accompany me?" he asked, making Sakura feel bad for the preference he had for Karin. But it was the client's choice and she had to go back to the other guy, Itachi.

Sasuke and Karin made their way to the bathroom, and as they were walking, Sasuke turned to look at her and asked: "Why did you come here so late?"

She sighed and answered: "A pervert didn't want to let go of me." Her answer was different from the apologize of before, and it made Sasuke stop. A geisha shouldn't have talked like that!

Karin, noticing the way she answered looked at him and apologized again. Instead of making her a bad lecture, something she had expected, Sasuke started to laugh. She remained interdicted, confused. Why was he laughing? She didn't understand that.

As he calmed down, he looked at her again. "I like you, you know? You're not like the other one, Sakura." he told her and she couldn't prevent herself to blush slightly, not knowing if to be embarrassed or what.

Meanwhile, they arrived at the bathroom and Sasuke went in, doing what he had to do, while she waited for him outside. He came out a couple of minutes later and approached her. They were about to go back to their table, but he, with her surprise, asked her something neither he thought he would do.  
"Do you want to go out for a walk? I would like to see the garden."

The girl nodded and led him out.

The garden was really big. There was a lake in the center of it and a small bridge was crossing it on it's center. Around it, there were many cherry blossom trees in flower and the moon was illuminating all that, giving it a magic atmosphere.

Sasuke liked that place. It was ideal for them, since he really wanted to spend some time with her in tranquility. He decided to go at the center of the bridge, where he leaned against it, observing the water under it and noticing that there were many carp swimming in it.

As she stopped next to him, he spoke: "Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?" She sighed. "Of course, but I'll answer only to what I want."

He couldn't help but laugh again.

"Okay, okay. I won't make complicated or embarrassing questions. Is something simple okay?" He wanted to be sure to not look stupid in front of her.

The girl nodded and it reassured him.

"Is it hard to put on that kimono and all that make up every day?" This time it was her turn to laugh. He obviously noticed that she wasn't wearing much make-up, so she decided to remain vague: "You get used to it after some time."

He nodded and then continued: "And how much time does it have to pass to become a geisha? Do you have to study?" She remained silent for a second, as if she was thinking. "Well... It depends on how good and pretty is the girl." she answered.

He couldn't help but smile. "Then I imagine that you became one almost immediately, huh?" he said. Her expression changed: she wasn't having that pretty smile she had on before. She was more serious now, almost as if she looked sad or angry. "It wasn't really that simple." was all she said.

He understood that she didn't like the argument, so he decided to not continue on it. His gaze moved on the carp in the lake, following their moves, not knowing what to talk about.

She glanced at him and decided to ask some questions too. She was curios. "And you? Won't you tell me anything about you?"

He still didn't look at her. "What do you want to know?"

She giggled. "Well, you could first tell me your name."

He finally brought his attention back to her. "Oh, I still didn't present myself? I'm Uchiha Sasuke." he said slightly embarrassed for not having told her his name before. She flinched. "Oh, an Uchiha! I know that name. You are pretty famous in Japan."

He smiled. "You too are."

She raised an eyebrow, not understanding completely his words. She then remembered why was she still working in the local and why were there so many clients.

"Really? What do they say about me?"

He scratched his head slightly and smiled nervously. "I don't know if everything is the truth though." She couldn't help but nod. "Hmm... Tell me." He gulped and looked away from her, knowing that what he was about to say was probably going to make him blush.

"They were telling me that you are very beautiful, intriguing in some things, and I guess they were right 'till here. They also said that you were different from the other geisha and I guess they are right too."

She was looking at him the whole times. Her red eyes were like glued on him and his words were something she heard many times, but they sounded somehow... Different. He talked as if he really meant those words, but not in an ugly way. She wanted to know more.

"Yes?"

"They say you don't talk too much with the clients, and you always try to be on your own side, knowing anyway that those stupids don't mind you like that either. They are not interested if you speak or not, right?" he finished. She remained shocked, not knowing what to say.

He finally moved his gaze back on her and added one last thing: "Probably it would be okay for me too, if I didn't know how nice and interesting is talking with you." His face was slightly flushed, but he just had to say it.

She bit her lip and leaned herself on the bridge, looking away from him. "You don't know me."

That boy couldn't even imagine the way she hated that work, the way she lived, and herself. He probably thought that she was here because she was thinking she was pretty or things like that. And he was wrong. He was talking like that because he didn't know anything about her and his only goal was to get in her sympathy.

"It's true, but I'd like to know you." he suddenly said.

She grunted. "Oh really? You, a rich boy, would like to know me?" Her words sounded irritated, and he got that. "I didn't want to seem rude." he apologized.

She sighed and straightened up. "Just let go of it, okay? Let's go back to the others." As she said those words, she was about to walk back to the restaurant, but he, not wanting that moment to end, grabbed her wrist gently and pulling her towards him. "Wait, Karin!"

She turned to look at him, mad, and moved her gaze from his, to her wrist and then back to him, making him understand that she didn't like his action and as he noticed that, he let go of her, raising his hands in the air as if he was surrendering. "I got it, I got it... It's just... Can we stay here another bit?" he asked, hoping that she would accept.

Her answer didn't come, but her body moved next to him, not too close, and she leaned again on the bridge, raising her eyes to watch the night sky.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was happy of her decision to stay there another bit and he respected the fact that she didn't come too close to him. He looked at the sky too and then commented: "It's nice here. I like it."

His comment didn't make her look at him, like he thought it would do. "Is it the first time you come here?" she asked. The boy nodded. "My brother brought me here. He said I needed some fun." he explained.

It made her confused. "And why does he think that?" He made a small smile. "Because all I do is working, and even when I don't, I only think about that." he said, blushing slightly because of the embarrassment. She was probably thinking that he was crazy.

"Even now?" Her eyes moved on him.

He looked back and shook his head. "It didn't come across my mind neither once since I saw you, if I have to be honest." he told her.

This time, she also smiled. "So you like me?"

His blush became even more intense and this time he couldn't hold her gaze with his and had to look away. "Wasn't it obvious?" he mumbled quietly, knowing that she heard him anyway. He glanced at her for a second, thinking that she would have been mad at him for that declaration, but, surprisingly, that smile was still on her face.

What was he supposed to do now? He probably needed to apologize, but before he was about to say a word, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He raised his head and turned around, seeing Itachi and the other geisha approaching them.

'Dammit. Did he really need to come here right now?' Sasuke thought slightly annoyed. He really hoped to be able to spend more time with Karin. Alone. But he sure couldn't tell him to leave.

Itachi and Sakura arrived there and the older guy looked first at the red head and then at his brother. A small smirk appeared on his face. "What an amazing place! Now I understand why you weren't coming back anymore." The younger Uchiha suddenly blushed, trying to hide his face with his arm, while Sakura didn't say anything. Deep inside, she was a bit irritated, but she couldn't allow herself to let that out.

Karin, on the other hand, kept observing the scene before her, amused. Sasuke managed to make the blush disappear and then he looked at his brother. "So, you came to look for us because of something... right?" he asked.

Itachi nodded, remembering why did he come out there. "Oh, yeah! The dinner is about to be served. Let's go back in."

* * *

The dinner passed in a calm way. Sasuke glanced at Karin a couple of times, but she never exchanged the look, even if she knew he was looking at her. After they finished eating, the owner of the local brought them some sake and the two geisha poured it in each of the Uchiha's glasses.

When they finished, Itachi grabbed his one and took a sip. Then, he put it back down and patted his brother's shoulder, making a grin. "So? What do you think about this?" he asked curiously.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What do I think about what?" He really didn't know what the hell was he talking about and he hoped it wasn't about that... About _her_. Itachi let out a small laugh. "About our gorgeous Karin, of course. Don't you find her beautiful?"

"Itachi!" Sasuke groaned, blushing heavily.

The older man chuckled. "What did I say?" he asked and then turned around to see Karin. "Was he a bad boy when I wasn't there?" Sasuke blushed even more at those words, even if he was completely innocent. Karin, on the other hand, didn't want to joke around too much. "He was educated and kind." was all she said.

The younger Uchiha raised his head, trying to look her in the eyes, to understand what was she meaning with those words, but now her head was lowered slightly.

Yet, Itachi wasn't satisfied with that answer. He wanted to provoke her a bit. "He was educated and kind, huh? Are you sure he didn't try anything?" Sasuke just kept telling himself to calm down, but as Itachi asked another of those stupid questions, he couldn't hold on much more. He stood up without even noticing it and snapped: "Shut up, Itachi!"

The older brother couldn't help but giggle, while Karin pierced him with her gaze, feeling confused by his reaction. He was so different now and Itachi didn't even try to provoke him seariously.

The young Uchiha looked at her and was finally able to see her eyes. She was looking at him in a weird way and it was probably because of the stupid things Itachi said. He sat back down, sighing. "Excuse my brother's rudeness." Itachi chuckled. "I didn't do anything rude." he mumbled.

Sasuke heard him, but decided to forget about that story. It was really annoying and he sure didn't want to spend all the night talking and fighting about it.

The night kept going on in a calm and nice way and hours passed as if they were minutes. It was around 2:00 o'clock am when Itachi decided to stir. He looked at Sasuke and spoke: "What do you think? Should we go home?" It was really late and he was starting to feel tired and sure all the sake he drank didn't help.

On the other hand, Sasuke glanced at him, a bit disappointed by the request. "Can't we stay a bit more?" he asked, trying to convince his brother and at the same time, his gaze moved on Karin, who was slowly massaging her neck, hoping that the boys weren't looking at her.

She seemed so tired and Sasuke saw it. Maybe Itachi was right: they needed to go home.

"Sasuke, it's really late and-"

"You're right." Sasuke interrupted. "It'd be better to go home." he finished, trying to hide all the sadness he felt in that moment, and stood up, followed by Itachi and the two girls. The older brother left the money he owed on the table and then said it was time to go out.

Sakura stood next to him and Karin went next to Sasuke as they walked through the local to the exit. The owner of the local brought the boys' jackets and handed them to them. Then, she bowed down and greeted them kindly. "I invite you to return to us. We'll be waiting for you, and thanks. I wish you a good night."

With that, she walked away, while the two couples went out of the place. They passed through the garden in silence, each with their own thoughts. When they arrived at the gate, the guys turned around to the girls and smiled.

Itachi was the first one to talk, bowing slightly. "Well, lovely ladies... it's time to say good-bye. I was really pleased tonight, with your company. Thank you for being with us." he told them. Sasuke nodded and bowed too, adding: "It was the same for me."

Sakura was the only one who answered. "Oh no, Mr. Uchiha. The pleasure was ours. Thank you for choosing us." As she talked she bowed too, while Karin made a small movement with her head, without speaking a word.

The boys straightened up and, seeing that Sasuke was still looking at Karin as if he wanted to say something to her before leaving, Itachi spoke to him: "Well, I'll start walking to the car. You'll come soon, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he started to do what he said and Sakura decided to accompany him.

Once again, the two were alone. They spent minutes in silence, looking at each other, until Karin turned her head away slightly. Sasuke kept observing her and then made a small smile. "You really look tired." he spoke gently. She tried to put on a small forced smile, but it was hard. "No... I'm okay."

He shook his head. "You're lying. I saw you and you really look tired. It must be exhausting making company to people who you don't even know for the whole day." he told her.

She lowered her head. "I'm used to it."

Sasuke didn't answer this time. He just kept admiring the beauty in front of him; a beauty that was still there even if it was so exhausted and fading.

Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, she did it instead. "Do you want me to accompany you?" He shook his head slightly. "There's no need for it." A smile appeared on his face. He was so glad that she asked, even if he knew it was a part of her job. But still... He couldn't stop thinking that maybe she asked that because she cared at least a bit.

"Don't worry about me... I can do it." she tried to protest. Instead of trying to put her down again, he approached her and put his hand on her cheek, without holding there too much though. "I'll get back alone and you will go to your room to rest, okay?" He smiled again.

"But I-"

"You nothing." he cut her. "I'll go now. Just rest." he finished and then turned around, waving his hand to greet her. Then, he walked away.

He looked down and felt something in his chest tightening. He was so tempted to go back to her to ask her to accompany him but... He couldn't do that. She needed to rest, it was for her own good.

He shook his head and finally arrived to the car that was waiting for him. He said goodbye to Sakura and went in, closing the door behind him.

"Take us back home, please." Itachi said to the driver and then let himself go in the comfortable seat. He then looked at Sasuke, who seemed to be thinking about something really 'important' since he didn't notice him calling him at first.

"Sasuke!" he called him louder this time.

The younger Uchiha shook his head and looked at him surprised. "Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you. What is it?" he asked. Itachi made a small smile. "So, did you have fun tonight?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, we should definitely do something like this again." he answered, hoping that the brother would accept. Itachi giggled. "It's funny to hear this from you. Have you already forgotten about the job now that you've seen her?" he asked.

Sasuke blushed slightly. "W-what?"

His older brother smiled. "I'm talking about Karin. What do you think of her? You can answer me now; she's not here anymore. Do you like her?" he asked. Sasuke could feel his face burn, but it was after all his brother. He could be sincere with him. "I... I do. She's very pretty." he mumbled. Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Just pretty?"

Sasuke sighed and looked away, out of the window. "Okay, okay... She's beautiful. I wouldn't mind meeting her again at all." he explained.

Itachi smiled. "Well... You can go there whenever you want." he told him and that made him feel better. Maybe he wouldn't be so dependent from his work from now on... It was quite a surprise. He has never seen his little brother being so taken from a girl and maybe that was the occasion for him to change.

Sure, he had seen him different only tonight so he couldn't guess if that change was permanent... He would see during the next days

-.-

Karin and Sakura returned to their rooms. As the pink-haired girl opened the door, she ran to her bed and threw herself on it, turning on the lamp that was on the night stand between the two mattresses. Karin walked in quietly and closed the door behind her. She walked to her bed too and sat on it.

Sakura smiled and rolled so she was facing the other geisha.

"Ne, Karin. I had fun today. Those guys were really nice." she told her.

Karin glanced at her.

Why was she so happy about it? Those guys were just like all the other clients and nothing more. They just wanted to do what all the other ones did too: have fun without thinking about anybody else and they just wanted two geisha to stay with them for company.

Everything was the same.

She sighed. "Nah, they weren't anything special." she mumbled.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What?" She then sat up. "Are you kidding me? The younger one, the one that was with you, was so handsome! I really envy you, Karin. Why do you always have to go with the best ones?" she asked childishly.

The red-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! He was just a client... As if he cared about who was he with." she said annoyed as she stood up and made a sign to Sakura to help her to untie her obi. The girl understood and approached her, proceeding to do what asked. "I don't know if you're blind or something, but that guy, Sasuke, was staring at you the whole time and he really looked... taken by you." she explained and Karin couldn't help herself: she started laughing. "Oh, come on Sakura! I've already told you everything. He was just a rich boy who saw a pretty woman and that is all. He has probably already forgotten about me." She said that, still laughing, as she turned around and did the same thing Sakura did to her.

Once done, the two girls picked the pieces of clothes and leaned them on a nearby chair. Then, they removed their kimono-s and the petticoat-s that were under them. They did the same with them too and then they put on their night dresses.

They laid down, each in her bed and let out a long sigh.

Those clothes were so heavy and wearing them for the whole day, every single day wasn't actually the most comfortable thing in the world. Sure, those were all pretty and well-made kimono-s, but it was hard to wear them all the time without making a pause to take them off.

"Well, never mind." Sakura said as she went under the covers and turned around. "Good night, Karin-san."

Karin smiled slightly at her, even if she wasn't looking at her anymore. 'You always keep forgetting to turn the light off.' she thought as she leaned over and turned the light off. She then rolled on her back and stared at the dark ceiling.

_'So you like me?'_

_'Isn't that obvious?'_

Hmph.

As if he were telling the truth.

He didn't even know her and he was telling her that he liked her? Yeah... He was just like the other customers. Her looks were the only thing he saw on her. He sure tried to know something more about her with a couple of questions, but he was probably trying to act nice.

_'You really look tired.'_

_'Just rest.'_

Why did he tell her that? It wasn't his responsibility to care if she was fine or not. Was he pitying her? Nobody has ever done that, and there wasn't any need to... She knew that very well. And her clients knew that too.

Thestory is always the same: the customer will pay for you and you will have to go around with them until the time runs out. That is all. Your condition doesn't matter. You have to be there and that is all.

He was _sure_ trying to be nice.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. Why was she even bothering to remember that evening? It was nothing. She would never see him ever again, so she had to forget it.

Nothing has changed.

_Or maybe it has..._


	2. I Can't Stop Thinking About Her

I Can't Stop Thinking About Her

* * *

A couple of days after that night, Sasuke was in his office, as usual.

He needed to sign some papers that his assistant brought to him and that was quite an annoying job. Yet, for the good of the company, Sasuke didn't only limit himself to sign, but he read each paper carefully before doing that, even if it wasn't always needed, since Itachi had always given them a glance and then approved them.

He was in the middle of his work, when he sighed and threw the left papers on the desk. He checked on the clock and noticed that it was already 4.00 o'clock pm.

"Ino! Come here!" he called and in less than a couple of seconds, his secretary, Yamanaka Ino, came inside of his office.

"Yes, Uchiha-san?" She gave him a smile, waiting for his request.

"Could you please bring me a coffee?" he asked and as soon as he finished speaking, the girl nodded and was about to go out to take what he asked, but before she did that, he added: "And I told you to call me Sasuke."

She stopped and looked at him for a moment. "Of course. I forgot about it. Well then, Sasuke-san, I'll be right back." With that, she stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Sasuke smiled slightly and then leaned more in his chair, turning then towards the window and looking out. He could see very well almost the whole Tokyo, or at least the most important places. Seeing those, he could concentrate and with the concentration, he was able to get better in his work. That was the way his family's company would always be on the top...

He always thought about that, but today... Today he just couldn't concentrate.

The only thing that kept busy his mind was that crimson hair on her shoulders. After that, he saw again her eyes and her face and that just prevented him to focus on the most important things.

Why?

He shook his head and then tried to forget her, but he just couldn't.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door and he immediately gave the permission to come in, since he knew it was Ino with his coffee.

The door opened and the young girl came in. "Here I am, Uch- Sasuke-san." she immediately corrected herself after she noticed he turned around and glanced at her. After she did that, she noticed a small smile on his face. She smiled back and walked to the desk, looking for the place where to put the coffee. There was a disaster on it and she couldn't see a bit of space where she could have put the cup.

Sasuke noticed that and made a bit of it. "Put it here." he told her and she did so. Then, she straightened up and asked: "Is there anything else you need?"

The Uchiha seemed to be thinking about it for a moment and she patiently waited for him, until he raised his head and told her: "Actually, I would like to talk to you."

The girl blushed slightly, surprised by her boss's request. "Eh?" He never wanted to be bothered when he was working. So it must have been something serious.

Sasuke pointed at the chair in front of his table. "You can sit there." he said.

The girl obeyed and sat in front of him. As she looked at him after that, she noticed that he was staring at her. It was... Weird. She gulped and mumbled quietly: "So, what do you want to talk me about?"

He sighed and then began: "It's something really important and I really don't know from where to start. I'm so, so embarrassed and I-"

"You're not going to fire me, are you?" Ino asked worried. From the way he started, it seemed that it would really come to that and she... She couldn't afford herself to lose that job. She loved it too much.

Sasuke looked at her surprised. "Eh? No... Of course I'm not. What made you think so? The problem's about me."

The girl sighed in relief. 'Thank goodness.' she thought and then looked back at him. "So, Sasuke-san, what's the matter?" she asked curious. Sasuke wasn't the type to have problems and, even if he had one or two, he sure wouldn't be talking about them to her.

He remained in a silence for a long moment, but then he took all his courage with himself and said it: "I can't concentrate on my _work_."

The girl gasped. Did he just say that he _wasn't able_ to concentrate? He was the person that worked more than anyone in that building. He always came up with something and he always gave a motivation to the others to do their job as good as they could. And it worked!

So what the hell did happen to him?

"S-sasuke-san... What do you mean with that?"

He gulped. "I... I just can't focus myself. Something's in my mind and doesn't let me go on." he explained. Ino started to think about what could have possibly gotten him in such a state and it took her a whole five minutes – yeah, she's a girl, so she arrived at the conclusion very, _very_ soon – to understand the problem.

"Is it about a _girl_?"

The Uchiha blushed heavily and looked away. "Ehm..."

A smile appeared on the girl's face. "I got it, didn't I?" she asked, almost proud. Sasuke clenched his fists and then nodded slightly. "Yeah."

Ino leaned on his desk, her smile became a grin. "So? How is she? She must be something special to put _you _in this condition."

Sasuke's blush didn't fade at all, but he knew that he could feel relaxed with Ino. They had known each other for so long that he almost considered her as his _sister_. He leaned back in his chair and told her what she wanted to know. "She is... She is beautiful. I've never seen someone like that." Yet, he preferred to be still vague. He knew it was enough for her.

Ino smiled. "Where is she now?"

He made a small smile. "She's a geisha, so she's probably working."

The blonde gasped in surprise. "A geisha? Really?"

He made a small nod with his head once again.

Now the girl stood up and the boy didn't actually understand the meaning of that movement. "Where are you going, Ino?" he asked quietly. She turned around and _she_ was the one who seemed surprised. "I'm going back out here, in my office. To wait another request from you."

Sasuke didn't get it. "But you didn't say anything! What should I do?"

The Yamanaka arrived at the door and opened it, but before going out, she turned back and smiled once more. "Isn't it obvious? _You should go to her as soon as you finish today_."

He remained interdicted, but then he waved his hand, as an approval. "I'll call you when I need you."

As she closed the door, he turned around in his chair, so he was looking again out of the window. Going to her as soon as possible? Yes... He would definitely do that. But not before finishing his work. He grabbed back the papers in his hands and he proceeded to read them and study them from where he stopped before.

* * *

Around 8:00 o' clock pm, Itachi rose from his desk and went out of his office. It was pretty late for still staying at work. His time usually ends around 7:00 pm, but he decided to stay another hour to check some other documents.

But now it was enough: he needed to go home for a shower and then he would probably order a pizza and would go straight in bed after that.

He smiled slightly as he walked through the hall of the floor. Yet, before leaving, he wanted to go to check if Sasuke was still there - the most probable thing - or if he was already away – the most impossible thing.

He arrived in front of his office and noticed Yamanaka Ino still there, finishing to order her desk.

"Why are you still here, Ino?" he asked curiously.

The girl looked up at him. "Oh, Uchiha-san..."

"Itachi." he corrected.

She put her hand on her head. "Yeah, I forgot. Well, Itachi-san... I wanted to put my desk in order before leaving. I _don't_ like when there's mess on it." she explained.

The man nodded and then headed towards Sasuke's door, but before he could reach it, he heard her speak: "Sasuke-san is _gone_."

Itachi remained silent. He wasn't sure if he heard right or what. He then turned around to look at the blonde again. "What do you mean by 'he is gone'?" he asked confused.

She smiled. "He left one hour ago. He said he... He said he needed to go somewhere before returning home."

Itachi remained interdicted, but then nodded. "Do you know where did he go?"

"No, sir." she mumbled.

She didn't want to tell him... Or better, she didn't have the _permission_ to tell. 'Please, if Itachi asks, don't tell him where I am.' Those were Sasuke's words before he went out, and she was his right arm in that office - to not mention one of his _best_ friends - and she needed to cover his back.

Itachi nodded and then returned on his way and, this time, he went to the lift and was about to come in, when Ino added one more thing: "Ten Ten told me that she already called a limo for you!"

He smiled. "Thank her if you see her!"

With that, he disappeared.

Ino let out a long sigh and let herself go in her chair. She really hoped that he got the joke, because, usually, she was a terrible liar. She actually did her best for Sasuke. She hoped that it worked.

"Thank goodness! _Another_ day is over!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke was in the limo that Ino called for him before he went out. He was relaxing on the seats and was looking out the window in silence.

Well, he was alone, so he couldn't talk to anyone.

It was slightly frustrating. He never left work without his brother and, if he wasn't with him, he usually went out for a pizza with Ino. They were _best friends _since they were kids and, when he and his brother became the directors of the Uchihas' company, he didn't think twice about calling her to work for him, something she accepted with pleasure.

From that day they often went out for dinner, but Ino never accepted to go into some expensive and luxurious restaurants, even if Sasuke always offered everything. She said that they would have paid as hell, to eat almost nothing.

So, they usually went into pizzerias or fast-foods. It was fine like that.

One day, he helped Ino to put in order her new apartment, so she technically owed him one and, lying for him tonight had totally repaid him for that.

He would definitely be grateful to her.

As the car turned in the street where the local was, he could feel his cheeks burning. What would he do once he'd be in there?

Dammit, he could have at least bought her some roses. He punched himself slightly on his head. 'Why didn't I remember about it?' he asked himself. Well, now it was too late to get back for them.

"We arrived, Mr. Uchiha." his driver suddenly said.

"Thank you, Shino. Wait for me around 11:00 o'clock." he said as he opened the door and went out. He closed it and then looked at the local.

Maybe he should have _really_ gotten some flowers.

Before he was able to turn back, the limo went away, leaving him there.

He took in a couple of deep, deep - very deep - breaths and walked past the gate. He slowly crossed the garden and arrived at the entrance. He found the old lady - the owner of the local - waiting for the guests, as he found her the first night he came there.

She bowed. "Welcome, sir. I hope you will enjoy your stay." he greeted. She still looked elegantly, even if she was very old. As she raised her gaze on the boy in front of her, a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, Mr. Uchiha! I see you're back..." she said happily. Sasuke scratched his head in embarrassment and a small blush appeared on his face.

"Come in, please." she invited and led him to one of the free tables of the room. He sat down and the ma'am bowed once more. "Is there a geisha you would like with you as a company?" she asked kindly.

The Uchiha boy smiled and nodded. "I would like _Karin_ with me." he told her. The lady seemed a bit surprised, but then she remembered that Karin was the most beautiful and the most popular one. "I'll bring her here immediately."

Sasuke thanked her and, as the lady walked away, he looked around a bit. The local was crowded as always. He saw that a couple of tables away from his, there was the pink-haired geisha, Sakura, that stayed with him and Itachi two nights ago.

She seemed kinda happy, or maybe it was just an act, just like the other ones'.

It was a part of their job.

He sighed and tried to forget all that. All he wanted was a relaxing evening with the girl he wanted to see. Suddenly, a waitress came to him. "Excuse me, sir. Would you like to order something to drink?" she asked kindly. The raven looked at her and smiled. "I'll only take some water for now."

She nodded. "Will you also eat something?" she asked as she pulled out a block and a pencil out of her pocket. Sasuke seemed to think about it, but he realized that he'd come back home at 11:00 o'clock and that was kinda late.

"Sure. I will take some tomatoes and rice balls, thank you. And about the drink, I changed my mind: bring me some sake, please." he told her.

The girl kept smiling and bowed. "I'll get it as soon as possible."

As she left he remained alone again. He couldn't wait for Karin to come.

He was so nervous.

Suddenly, the old lady came back and as he saw her, he saw Karin walking behind her. When they approached the table, the old lady bowed once again. "Here we are. Please, enjoy your stay." she said before turning around and leaving.

Now, he was alone with her. Well, not totally alone, since there were other people in the local, but nobody was with them at the moment. Sasuke looked at the girl and she... She looked beautiful. More than usual.

"Hi, Karin." he greeted.

The girl was still standing on her feet, looking at him coldly. "_What are you doing here, Uchiha?_" she asked.

He smiled slightly, trying to ignore that tone of voice, even if it was making him feel uncomfortable.

"I wanted to spend another night here. _With you_." he mumbled quietly, as his cheeks became flushed.

The girl remained in silence for a moment before she sat down next to him. He watched her as she did so and, when she was next to him, comfortable as he was, she looked at him and he could swear he could see a small smile on her face.

"Well then, Uchiha, let's enjoy the evening."

Sasuke's smile grew slightly. "Sure but... Call me Sasuke."


End file.
